"Is Linux a better choice for business than, say, a proprietary
operating system such as Microsoft Windows? The debate, full of passion
and conviction, rages on both sides of this issue. Over the past several
years, Linux has elevated itself as a respectable competitor despite
Microsoft's dominance in the operating systems market. Linux is used
extensively in today's business operating platforms, in Web servers, the
Domain Name System, FTP, e-mail, firewalls, Web hosting, network
monitoring and desktop applications, for example. Some form of Linux is
used in nearly 80% of companies today. Most of them deploy it from a
server level, and interest in desktop functionality is growing. The
rapid migration of Linux inside global businesses and government
agencies is likely related to the increase in quality, security and
cost-effectiveness that Linux provides.
Of course, there are arguments from both sides. But when you compare
Linux and Windows applications feature for feature, there is very
little, if anything, that Microsoft has that Linux hasn't yet perfected.
Security and reliability are, of course, another concern. How can
migrating businesses be sure that the security and reliability of their
networks will, at the very least, stay intact? Looking at some facts and
figures provides a good start. In the past few years, Microsoft has
experienced near-catastrophic exploitations with the MyDoom, Nimda and
MS Blaster worms. These system exploitations affected countless users
and cost individuals, corporations and government agencies millions of
dollars in damages and downtime. Since then, Microsoft has had to
account for the inadvertent release of part of its sanctified source
code, as well as the much-publicized Internet Explorer vulnerabilities
that have forced many users to change their preferred Web browsers. In
response, Microsoft attempted to heighten security on all applications
to prevent further incidents."
"Garnering trust in an open-source operating system can be tough, and
one of the major downfalls for Linux is its perceived lack of end-user
support. Although that may have been true in years past, the rapid
adoption of Linux for its superior quality and cost-effectiveness has
driven Linux vendors to provide comprehensive technical and customer
support. Which means, according to Gomez, that "new hardware does not
imply new software. When a business has to invest in a custom software
base, it is not prudent to base it on a single vendor proprietary
operating system."
With Linux, the uptime is high, the price is low, and the flexibility is
amazing."
<http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/os/story/0,10801,102053,00.html>
©2005 Bill Anderson |
